Slipper overseas despite probe

EMBATTLED Sunshine Coast MP Peter Slipper will not cut short his 43-day “study tour” of Europe despite a police probe centred on his Buddina office.

The controversial Member for Fisher has been enjoying the sights of some of Europe’s most fabled destinations with his wife as Australian Federal Police investigate the alleged misuse of entitlements by a staff member.

Mr Slipper, who has paid back more than $17,000 in wrongly claimed entitlements over the past decade, has an itinerary that includes visits to the UK, Gibraltar, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Germany.

His spokesman said yesterday that the trip – which the Federal Government is partly funding – would go ahead as planned and he would arrive home on May 6.

“He will be returning home on the scheduled date,” the long-serving MP’s spokesman said.

“He intends to complete his itinerary as meetings are planned and appointments arranged. It would be discourteous to do otherwise.”

The Deputy Speaker is apparently investigating, among other issues, the difference in parliamentary systems between Australia and the countries on his itinerary.

It was reported that Mr Slipper refused to comment when asked if the AFP investigation related to the misuse of his fuel card.